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Carvin Corporation is an American guitar, musical instrument and equipment manufacturer located in San Diego, California. Carvin was founded in 1946 by Lowell Kiesel, and originally manufactured guitar pickups.

History
The company was founded in Southern California in 1946 as the L. C. Kiesel Company. As of 1947, the company was manufacturing steel guitars in Gothenburg, Nebraska. Around 1948, it returned to Southern California and moved to Baldwin Park, California in 1949, where the company name was changed to Carvin, from Kiesel's two eldest sons, Carson and Gavin. Throughout the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s, Carvin manufactured guitars and bass guitars, largely from bodies and necks made by Höfner. During this period, they also manufactured amplifiers and steel guitars, and were authorized resellers of other gear, including Fender and Martin guitars, DeArmond pickups and Sonola accordions. In the late 1970s, Carvin began to produce all their own instrument components, and also expanded their product lines to include pro audio gear, recording equipment, lighting and other stage and studio equipment. Later, Carvin switched to manufacturing through-neck guitars, attracting metal players such as Jason Becker.

The 1950s
Carvin of the 1950's bore almost no resemblance to the Carvin of today. The focus was on steel guitars and related accessories, with a lesser emphasis in electric and acoustic guitars, and even less emphasis on bass guitars. Most Carvin steel guitars were lap-steel models, made from Bakelite with hand-wound pickups installed. Carvin was an authorized reseller for a number of other manufacturers, including Fender, DeArmond, and Martin. In addition to instruments, Carvin also sold tube-driven guitar amplifiers, microphones and pickups. The decade started with Carvin being located in Baldwin Park, California, but by the end of the fifties, the shop would move to Covina, which would be home to Carvin until the move to Escondido in the late 1960s. As the fifties drew to a close, Carvin expanded their line of electric solidbody guitars and steel guitars, including the first doubleneck instruments. It was a transitional period, as well - some of the budget guitars and other stringed instruments that were offered as far back as 1955 were still being sold, but the new SGB series of guitars that would continue through the mid-60's were also offered. By 1958, Carvin no longer offered Fender instruments, but continued to carry Martin guitars, DeArmond pickups and several instruments that were not Carvin-made, but were badged with the Carvin name.

In the 1950s, Carvin advertised in publications such as Popular Mechanics. Prior to the publication of the first Carvin catalog in 1954, interested customers could request product information which was mailed to them on loose sheets.

The 1960s
The sixties saw Carvin printing black-and-white catalogs, and offering a decent selection of guitars, basses, amps and accessories. The six-string electric guitar was somewhat of a novelty as the sixties began, but by the end of the decade, it would be widely accepted as an authentic instrument, and Carvin would keep pace with that mentality. In addition, they would offer a huge selection of lap- and pedal-steel guitars, mandolins, and even banjos and accordions, and a wide selection of parts and accessories for these instruments. Carvin offered a few small guitar amplifiers in the 1960s, primarily targeted at steel guitar players. However, as the electric six-string guitar gained acceptance, the guitar amps began to diversify and proliferate, laying the foundation for the wide assortment that would be offered in following decades. Electric basses, similar in design to electric guitars began to gain acceptance among musicians. Unlike today's gear, basses from the 60's were made primarily from Höfner parts, and were generally available in in one finish per model. Because the electric bass was a relatively new invention at the time the 1960s began, there was very little in the way of bass amplification offered by any manufacturer. Most amps of the day were general purpose models, and could be used for bass, guitar, vocals, and any other electric instrument. However, by the end of the decade, specialized bass amps were offered, and these would pave the way for the modern Carvin bass amplifier.

The Carvin factory moved from Covina, California to 1155 Industrial Avenue in Escondido, California in 1969, where it would remain until 1995.

The 1970s
All sorts of things happened with Carvin in the 1970s. The decade started with black-and-white catalogs, German-made Höfner necks, Hawaiian steel guitars, and would end with a color catalog, and set-necks on totally made-by-Carvin instruments. Things would change often throughout the decade, but a foundation was being laid for modern Carvin gear. In the early seventies, there were limited models of guitar and bass amps offered, but by the end of the decade, Carvin amps and pro audio gear would begin to be noticed by professional players. The "Curved C" logo became the standard used on most Carvin gear in the 1970s, and this logo would remain in use until the modern logo was designed in 1988.

In 1976, Carvin introduced the DC150 guitar, which could be considered the first "modern" Carvin. Although the 1976 model still used Höfner components and Carvin-made pickups, by 1979, the model (and most other Carvin guitars and basses) would be made entirely in Southern California. Also in 1976, the last Carvin steel guitars, the model PRO-S6, PRO-D6 double-six and PRO-D8 double-eight, were offered.

The first partial-color catalog was published in 1973, and by 1976, the entire book was printed in color. The early books were about 24 pages, but by the end of the decade, the catalog had expanded to over 60 pages to accomodate the rapid expansion of guitars, basses, amplifiers and pro sound gear.

The 1980s
The decade started with two basic guitar models, the DC150 and CM140, plus the newly redesigned doubleneck series, and only two finishes (clear and black), but by the time the decade ended, there were 11 guitar models, a variety of finishes, electronics, hardware and other options. Many of the design features and construction methods would still be in use on modern Carvins - things such as neck-thru design, premium ebony fingerboards, and the DC200 body style would remain popular and in use to this day, which proved that Carvin was on the right track when they pioneered many of these items. Other features, such as bright pearl colors, doublenecks, and the V guitars would make a huge splash, sell like crazy, then begin to fade away as the decade ended. Magazine ads and a wider exposure to music in general, thanks to MTV and other video music outlets, brought a new audience to Carvin, and many of the stars of the 1980s could be seen with Carvin gear, including Heart, The Bangles, Frank Zappa, Jefferson Starship, The Babys, Oingo Boingo, and a newcomer to the music scene named Steve Vai.

The eighties would also see one of the most significant design changes in Carvin's history, as they moved from set-neck models to neck-thru models as the decade wound down. Additionally, as the decade progressed, more and more options and features were added, including tremolos, gold and black hardware, flamed maple tops and translucent finishes.

The V220 and Ultra V guitars became enormously popular, especially with "hair metal" bands that dominated the music scene in the 1980s. Carvin's doubleneck guitars - the DN612 and DN640 - were also widely accepted, as there were very few high-quality doublenecks available at the time.

Carvin offered a wide variety of guitar amps throughout the 80's, from tube and solid-state heads powering single and double-stacks, to small combos for studio use and practice. An variety of features were available, and Carvin used assortment of speakers, from their own brand of MagnaLabs to Celestions and Electro-Voices to their own BR12 British Series. Carvin also offered a good selection of bass amps throughout the decade - everything from small combos to thunderous tube-driven stacks. A variety of features were available, and Carvin used assortment of speakers, from their own brand of MagnaLabs to Celestions and Electro-Voices to their own BR12 British Series.

The Carvin catalog became mainstram in the 1980s, thanks to full-page ads in varions guitar magazines offering a free catalog for the asking, a policy that continues to this day. By the end of the decade, the Carvin catalog would be almost 100 pages long. Although the catalog was produced annually, in the mid-80s, a "summer addendum" was published.

The 1990s
The 90s saw many changes at Carvin. The X and V guitars and doubleneck guitars would be retired after their successful run in the 1980s. However, many new models would be added - the Bolt, Holdsworth, TL series, 7-string models, hollowbodies and acoustic/electrics. On top of that, Carvin officially launched the Custom Shop, which allowed customers to create their own guitar from thousands of combinations of woods, finishes, hardware and electronics. The 90s started with 3 basic bass models, but would expand to 11 models by the end of the decade, including Carvin's first-ever signature model, the Bunny Brunel BB75 (and later, the BB70 and BB76), as well as acoustic/electrics, bolt-necks, and multi-string models. A wide variety of finishes, hardware, woods and other options would appear throughout the decade, leading up to the modern Carvin bass.

In the amplifier department, the 90's started out very busy, with a variety of tube and solid-state combos being introduced and retired, before finally stabilizing towards the end of the decade. Many exciting products were debuted in the 90's, including the Vintage Series, Quad X, and in 1999, the Steve Vai Legacy Series. Carvin's bass amps started with a variety of stacks and combos, mostly based on one head, and would end the same - a variety of stacks and combos, based on one head. But that head, the Red Line, was leaps and bounds ahead of it's predecessors, and would give bassists all the features and options that had been generally available only to guitarists.

In 1996, Carvin would celebrate it's 50th Anniversary, and would release an Anniversary model guitar and bass to commemorate the event. Also in the 90s, Carvin would pack up, and relocate to their current state-of-the-art facilities in San Diego. Also in 1996, Carvin launched carvin.com, it's first website. Like all sites at that time, there was no online ordering - the site was an online catalog of the products Carvin manufactured and sold.

The Carvin catalog evolved from an annual edition at the beginning of the decade to a smaller, quarterly edition by the end of the decade. The change was made to accomodate the rapidly-changing product lines, as well as to keep in step with the growing popularity of the internet.

The 2000s
Carvin expanding its product lines rapidly in the 2000s. Many guitar and bass models were refined and improved upon, and hundreds of new wood, finish, fingerboard, inlay and other options were added. Mainstream musicians such as Steve Vai, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit (the Eagles), Mark Wills, Sekou Bunch, Bunny Brunel and Craig Chaquico endorsed Carvin gear, exposing the company to its largest audience to date. The Carvin.com website allowed customers to build and order instruments to their own specifications, and the site had an inventory of Guitars-in-Stock, instruments built by the Custom Shop that could be ordered immediately. The all-tube V3 guitar amplifier was the flagship of the amp line, and the new Steve Vai Legacy II was also introduced. Lightweight neodymium speakers were added to many bass amps and pro audio speaker enclosures, and revolutionary new products such as the XD88 speaker management system were offered.

The Carvin catalog was a full-sized book at the begininng of the decade, but by the end of the decade, was once again a smaller publication as used in the 1990s as production and mailing costs increased.

In 2006, Carvin celebrated its 60th Anniversary, with a free concert at the San Diego factory featuring performers such as Steve Vai, Tony MacAlpine, Bunny Brunel and Craig Chaquico.

Currently, Carvin Corporation manufactures acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitars and accessories, amplifiers, and live and studio sound equipment, microphones and lighting gear. Carvin differs from most manufacturers by selling directly to customers. A popular item Carvin offers is their guitar and bass kits, featuring all of the necessary parts needed to construct a guitar or bass, including pre-wired pick guard, pre-drilled neck and body, and instructions. Carvin also still offers custom-made instruments in many varieties, including seven-string, semi-hollow, twelve-string, carved-top and active-pickup models.

Notable users
Notable Carvin users include: Allan Holdsworth, Steve Vai, Bunny Brunel, Craig Chaquico, Alex Lifeson, Jason Becker, Al DiMeola, Yngwie Malmsteen, Willie Nelson, Danny Elfman, Joe Walsh, Shawn Lane and Tony MacAlpine.